Guidelines Developed for Management of Hematologic Malignancies During Pregnancy

Guidelines developed by an international consensus meeting may be able to direct health care professionals in the optimal treatment.

Guidelines developed by an international consensus meeting may be able to direct health care professionals in the optimal treatment of hematologic malignancies during pregnancy, according to a recent study published online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.1

Michael Lishner, MD, of the Meir Medical Center in Israel and fellow researchers from around the world noted that hematologic malignancies during pregnancy, which currently has an incidence rate of 0.02%, is on the rise.

“A favorable prognosis is contingent upon early diagnosis and treatment,” they noted. However, they stated that current management guidelines are lacking due to “insufficient evidence-based research,” delaying treatment and posing significant risks to maternal and fetal health.

The report was developed during the first International Consensus Meeting of Prenatal Hematologic Malignancies held in Belgium on May 2014. It provides clinical management guidelines of hematologic cancers during the perinatal period.

“This consensus summary equips health care professionals with novel diagnostic and treatment methodologies that aim for optimal treatment of the mother, while protecting fetal and pediatric health,” the authors concluded.